Our Last Chance
by Letselina
Summary: [Final in Lost Love-Innocence Triology] After being in a long coma-like state, Piper Strife finally awakens. All should be perfect, her friends, family, and her growing romance with Evan. But is it? [Hiatus]
1. Prologue

**Our Last Chance  
**Final in Lost Love/Innocence of Heart Trilogy

_Prologue_

_It was so... so dark. I was falling. Falling into a pit of nothingness. I thought I'd never feel the warmth of being alive. The crisp essence of death... It was then I knew I would never be able to rest. My only sanity was to dream of my home, Spira, my friends, and happiness. And I was beginning to lose that too. I wished to go back in time, and never step through the door to Spira. Never to have met my wonderful friends. I wished to stay in my small home in Kalm with my brother Ty and my good friend Charis..._

_Charis, why did you do this to me? To us? I would never kill you, but I had no choice. You didn't give me a choice. You were weak... and I know, I was too. _

"Piper... It's me. Please... please wake up."

_Hello Mother. I can hear you. But I know you can't hear me. I want to wake up. I really do. But I can't. Darkness has swallowed me... I keep falling, and no one will catch me. Not even death._

"Hey Piper! Remember? We were going to go to the Moonflow. It's so amazing. The moment you wake up I'm taking you there. No interruptions at all!"

_Sounds fun Zalèa. I'll keep that in mind... But I sort of doubt they'll let you take me right away._

"Piper, if you don't wake up..."

_Sorry Nari... threats don't work. Please... Don't cry._

"I'm sorry, Piper. We're both sorry. We should have told you everything..."

_I forgive you Dad... I have to sometime... I just hope you know it._

"Hey Piper..."

_Hey Evan. What are you whispering for?_

"I'm sorry about everything. We all really want you to come back."

_I want to come back too. Back to Mom, Dad, Z, Nari, and... you._

"Please... come back. I want to see you again. I want to tell you something. You are an amazing person Piper... and..."

"And?" Piper's hoarse voice echoed in her mind. Inhaling deeply, she opened her soft sapphire eyes. _Am I... awake?_

Bright turquoise eyes glittered with tears just above her. "Piper?" Evan gasped in a loud whisper. Standing straight, he called to others, "She's awake!"


	2. Awakenings

**Our Last Chance  
**Final in Lost Love/Innocence of Heart Trilogy  
  
  
_Chapter One  
__Awakening_

Evan had run out of the room, leaving Piper in silence for a few moments. She nearly gagged on the taste in her mouth. A thick coat of slime covered the inside, causing her nose to scrunch. She figured she had been asleep for a long time, but the infinite darkness had worn her sense of time. All her wounds from the ritual were wrapped neatly and almost fully healed. She began to take in her surroundings, slowly. The room was painted a soft shade of green, decorated with random posters, from cute baby chocobos to the hottest bands from Junon... _Junon... _"I'm home..." she said quietly, not wanting to disturb the silence. She was in her own bed, in her own room.

"Piper!" what seemed like hundreds of voices cried happily.

"Oh God, Piper," Aeris nearly jumped on her, wrapping her arms around her neck, squeezing her daughter tightly.

Raising taut arms, Piper embraced her mother back, crying softly. "Mom... I was so scared..." she whispered.

"It's okay! You're here now!" Aeris brushed Piper's hair back, her emerald eyes holding back tears of rapture.

After Aeris finally let go, Piper's father gave her a swift hug. Cloud had never been great at expressing emotions but... "We really missed you kiddo...."

"I missed you too Daddy..." she smiled softly.

"I didn't miss you," a sore voice intruded.

"Ty!" Piper laughed.

Zalèa stood behind him, shaking his shoulders, "Don't be silly Ty! You missed her too!"

The blonde haired boy stuck out his tongue at his older sister and her friend. "No I didn't!" he crossed his arms.

"Well, I missed you," Piper said, shrugging.

"You _missed_ this kid?" Nari snorted. "If he wasn't your brother he'd be in shreds by now!"

Piper grinned, ecstatic to be home. "You'd miss anyone in the place I was in..."

"Where were you, Piper?" Yuna asked.

The brunette was amazed at how many people had fit into her room. But the thought of that cold... dark... place... "I-I don't really... want to talk about it..."

"That's okay," Rikku said quickly, dismissing the thought. "We just want to know how you feel _now_."

"I feel... tired. It's weird. I want to fall back asleep but I'm wide awake..." Piper looked at the teary eyed people around her. They really seemed happy to see her awake.

Aeris patted her daughter's hand, "We're going to go get some food for you. You need to do some catching up, I'm sure," the former flower girl spoke, gently shooing everyone out of the room except for the trio of Piper's close friends.

Piper nodded, "So Zalèa, when are we leaving?" she said, thinking of what her friend had told her in her unconsciousness.

"Leaving where?" Zalèa cocked her head to one side. Her blonde hair was loose, falling in her eyes, giving her a soft innocent look compared to her normal Al Bhed butt kicker style.

"To the Moonflow. You promised me you'd take me there as soon as I woke up," Piper laughed.

Zalèa chuckled quietly. "Yeah I did say that... but how did you know?"

Piper shrugged, pulling her brown hair back. "I guess I wasn't totally unconscious... I heard a lot of things you guys told me. I talked back to you too, but until Evan was talking to me earlier, nothing came out of my mouth."

"Well..." Zalèa looked around the room, "We can go tonight I suppose. Can you stand?"

Piper tossed the blankets off her legs, noticing she was dressed in her yellow and blue chocobo pajamas. She closed her eyes, hoping her blush was invisible on her face. "I think so," she said, climbing out of her bed. She held onto the head board for support, smiling at her friends. "Just a little unbalanced..." She looked to Evan, who seemed a bit troubled. _Yes, Evan. I heard what you said... but you never finished... You'll have to let me know sometime._

"Well, I guess we should let you get changed and showered. Two months of laying in a bed made you smell," Nari joked.

"Two months?!" Piper exclaimed. _I was out that long?!_

Nari nodded, "Yeah. We'll tell you more later, okay?"

Sighing, Piper limped toward her dresser as the three exited her room. _Two months. That's insane!_ Grabbing a pink strapless top and a pair of denim pants, she wandered out of her room, glancing at every aspect of her home.

"Oh Piper! You're up!" Tidus waved to her, smiling his goofy, but friendly, smile.

"Yeah. I'm gonna take a shower, okay?" she waved back, moving from the kitchen to the next hall where the bathroom was. Piper closed, and locked, the door behind her, hanging her clothes on a rack on the door. The familiar scent of her mother's lavender soap reached her nose as she stripped down, turning on the hot water of the shower. Listening to the quiet pitter-patter of the water hitting the floor of the shower, she removed the bandages from her arms and legs, inspecting her wounds. They were nearly healed, only soft pink skin that was slowly working on replacing her missing flesh. Stepping into the steamy water, she closed her eyes, letting it wash over her. The feeling of the warm water sent chills down her spine, a great contrast to the vast void she had spent two months in.

* * *

"Come on! Please Mom!!" Piper pouted. She, Nari, Zalèa, and Evan were in the process of persuading their parent's to allow them to return to Spira.

"We have to go!" Zalèa said.

"It's just the Moonflow!" Evan pleaded.

"We'll be fine!" Nari assured.

Aeris rubbed her temples, silencing the quartet. "Why do you want to go to the Moonflow so bad? Just head to Junon and look at the water there."

"Because the Moonflow is the most wonderful experience ever!" Nari dramatized, flinging out her arms.

"It is pretty amazing," Tidus put it. Yuna punched his shoulder. "What? It's the truth!"

"The problem is, we don't want you traveling five thousand years in the future!" Yuna stated.

"How is it a problem?" Nari asked.

"It just is, okay?" Rikku sighed.

Gippal shrugged, "They're responsible. They can take care of themselves."

"Exactly!" the quartet of friends shouted simultaneously.

"Gippal!" Rikku trilled.

"Think about it: what were you doing when you were sixteen and seventeen?" Gippal asked rhetorically. "Exactly," he said after a pensive silence.

Zalèa jumped up, "So can we go?"

"Be back tomorrow," Aeris and Yuna sighed.

_A/N: This was supposed to be up sooner but I didn't have a chance. Major writers block and school blues. Hehe. Well Piper's awake and the next chapter will be much fluffiness. This story will (hopefully) add in all those other unused characters, especial Briar since Neal, rather Hojo, was his dad. So keep reviewing my... three... reviewers. Thanks!  
-Teh Ishie-  
Letselina_


	3. Moonflow

**Our Last Chance  
**Final in Lost Love/Innocence of Heart Trilogy

_Chapter Two  
__Moonflow_

Piper stood in Shinra's small office, grinning wildly. The crisp warmth of the Bikanel Island was felt even in the air conditioned Home. She had wanted nothing more than to get away from her parents, and have some fun with her friends. Inhaling, she smelled the fumes of metallic machines, smoke, and the burnt smell of sand.

"Welcome back, Piper," the genius waved, hardly looking up from a group of spheres he seemed intent on working on.

"Hey Shinra! Whatcha doin'?" Zalèa asked, her trademark emerald eyes curious.

Shinra shook his head, "Nothing much. Just a DNA test of a sphere."

"What's the sphere of?" Nari questioned.

"Nothing important. Now go on," he shooed.

The quartet hurried out of his office, down to a long hallway leading toward the dock. "He seemed crabby," Piper commented.

"He's _always_ crabby when he's working. Don't take it to personally," Evan chuckled.

Piper looked as the machine-operated door slid open, revealing an array of different colored airships. The one that caught her eye was a small one on the far left - a small _yellow_ airship. "The Dandilily!" she giggled, remembering the absurd looking ship.

"I'm going to force my parents to get me a new one," Zalèa rolled her eyes, "The intense yellow might blind someone."

The four friends laughed as the boarded the Dandilily, taking their own seats behind Zalèa's navigation panel. "'Kay, now be quiet for a minute guys," Zalèa said, turning on a switch. "Dandilily to Home, come in!"

"Hey Z!" a bouncy male's voice came over the intercom.

"Briar! You working today?" Zalèa laughed.

_Briar. _The name seemed familiar. Piper guessed it was one of the guys who had been at that party, the day she came to Spira.

"Yeah, and what? You're off joy-riding again in the yellow bug you call a ship?" Briar teased over the intercom.

Zalèa scoffed, "I didn't _ask_ for it to be yellow. How's your mom?"

"Eh, she's here and there. She's really bummed out about Hobo."

"Hobo?" Piper whispered to Nari, confused.

"He means, Hojo. The guy who posed as his dad and Paine's husband," she whispered back.

"How about that Piper girl? Has she woken up yet? I mean, geez, it's been months! The blitz tournament is starting soon, I know Evan wanted her to be on our team. He always makes such a big--"

"She's just fine!" Evan yelled, cutting off Briar.

Piper raised an eyebrow at her friend's action, confused once more.

Briar's laughter was heard, "Oh come on, everyone knows you like her!"

Piper turned a bright shade of vermilion, but nothing could beat the red in Evan's cheeks.

"Uhh, Briar?" Zalèa said, a goofy grin on her face.

"What?"

"She's here. Like, awake. And here on the airship."

"Oh, uh, sorry there Evan..." Briar said with an apologetic tone.

"Yeah, yeah. Can you just let us go?" Evan asked, his face buried in his hands.

"Sure, no problem..." Briar sighed as a door above them opened. "Have fun, and good to know your up Piper!"

"Thanks," Piper said quietly.

"Briar, over and out."

Nari burst into a fit of laughter, on her knees as Zalèa lifted the Dandilily into the scorching heat of the Bikanel skies. Even as the sun was setting, it was still too warm to be comfortable. "Oh Spira! Have you ever seen a funnier thing?" she said through giggles.

Zalèa shook her head, putting the ship in autopilot. "But speaking of the blitz tourney, we better get things ready. I'm not going to publicize a non-existent team."

"Yeah! You have to join Piper! With you, Evan, Rydia, Vidina, Andre, and Briar, we'll be unbeatable!" Nari laughed.

"I'd love to!" Piper grinned, "But..." she looked down, stray strands of copper hair falling from a messy bun. "I don't know if I'll be able to stay."

"What do you mean?" Evan asked, a worried expression on his face.

Piper shrugged, "My home isn't Spira. I grew up five thousand years ago. I don't know if my parents will let me stay in Spira..."

A pensive silence crept over the four friends, causing each to realize the possibility that the four of them could be separated. Zalèa climbed back into her seat, "We're just about there guys. Looks empty tonight - no tourists or anything. Tolita and her dad must not have a show tonight."

"Tolita?" Piper inquired, again at the edge of confusion.

"Yeah, Tolita. She's a cutie. Daughter of the oh-so-famous Tobli. He supposedly helped my mom during one of her magnificent journeys," Nari rolled her eyes.

"Yup-yup," chuckled Zalèa. She landed the Dandilily in an open area, that looked recently cleared for the purpose of parking airships. "Everyone out!"

Piper followed the twins out, musing to herself on how different they really were. The area was beautiful, the stars poking out of a perfectly clear midnight blue sky. A soft breeze brushed through the trees, giving the setting the atmosphere of a crisp, early autumn night. "It's pretty," she commented quietly, wandering around the small area.

"This?" Nari gestured around. "We aren't there yet! Come on! It's not far!"

"I'll race you!" Zalèa challenged, sprinting past her friend.

"Hey!" Nari chased after, leaving Piper alone with Evan.

Piper smiled softly, realizing how upset he was by Briar's comment. She wondered if it was true. And if it was: what would she do about it? The last time he had expressed feeling for her, she had blown him off. "I suppose we should follow them?"

"Y-yeah," he said, scratching his head through his soft sun bleached hair. Evan walked with her, but said nothing, creating a nervous silence.

_Let's just hope nothing catastrophic happens today..._ she prayed silently, wanting the rest of her day to end perfectly. The only sound in the area was the laughter of Nari and Zalèa, arguing on who had won their race. "So, did you guys stay long in my time?"

Evan nodded, "We were there for the past few weeks." He didn't seem talkative at all.

"Do much exploring?" she asked.

"Sort of. Went to your mom's old house and stuff. Visited the graves of people I never knew. We basically just followed our parents around," Evan shrugged, staring at his feet as they walked.

"Yeah. Guess it doesn't even come close to the beauty of Spira though," Piper said, looking up at the sky again. She felt silly, just rambling on about nothing important. "I'll really miss it here. Spira's pretty cool." She stopped, shaking her head. "I'll have a lot of explaining to do to all my old friends."

"Hey, we're there," Evan pointed ahead.

Piper's eyes widened as she looked at the end of the path. It turned a sharp left, and part of the Moonflow was visible from where they stood. An array of colors and flowers decorated the bank of the river, where pyreflies seemed to dance. "Wow, it's so pretty!"

"Come on!" Evan jogged ahead, making Piper do the same to follow. "Moonlilies," he commented as Piper bent down to see a flower up close.

A slender green stem held what looked like any plain lily, but colored so much more. Each petal was pointed, shaped perfectly, the infinite spectrum of colors rippling through them. It seemed almost magical, the color-changing moonlilies, the dancing pyreflies, and the feeling of being alive. "Zalèa was right. This place is absolutely amazing," Piper said quietly, looking across the water.  
"So, do you want to go back to your home?" Evan asked.

Piper shrugged. "If you had asked me after my first few days here, I would've said 'yes' without hesitation. But now..." She sat on the ground, her feet resting in the slightly damp earth. "I want to stay here, be with you, Zalèa, Nari... But I know I have to go home."

"Why Piper? Why don't you just stay here?" Evan sat beside her, an almost hurt look on his face.

"I don't know why..." Piper brought her knees to her chest, sighing. "I just feel like I have to go home."

Another long silence crept over the two.

"Then I'll come to your home too," Evan grinned.

"What?" Piper looked at him, an incredulous look on her face.

"You heard me - I'll come live in the past."

Piper shook her head. "I-I don't think you should..." _What am I saying...? He should come!!_

"Why not?"

"I don't know," Piper whispered. She was fighting with her own instincts.

Evan let himself fall backward, heaving out a frustrated sigh.

Piper closed her eyes, listening to the shimmering sounds of the pyreflies. She didn't know why she was denying every chance to be with Evan. Although she didn't want to admit it openly - or to herself - she knew she wanted to be with him. "Hey Evan...?"

"What?" he said, obviously frustrated and tired.

"This morning, you were telling me..." Piper opened her eyes, looking back at him, sprawled on the ground. She couldn't help but crack a smile. "You said there was something you wanted to tell me."

Evan sat up, his face sincere. "Piper, we had all given up hope. We all believed you were going to be like that - forever."

"I thought so too," she replied quietly.

"Piper, you are an amazing person. After everything you had to go through, you're still a bright, beautiful..." Evan trailed off, shaking his head.

"I'm not, though. You say I'm all these things when I'm not," Piper felt hot tears burning in her sapphire eyes. "If I hadn't been so selfish, none of that would've happened. If I had just gone home like Yuna told me to, I wouldn't have been in a coma for two months. And Charis would still be alive. But I _killed_ her. Nothing can ever make up for that." The thought of Charis made tears fall, as she relived the feeling of thrusting the blade through her own friend. She felt an arm around her shoulder, causing her to look up into a pair of turquoise orbs.

"Listen to me, Piper. You had no choice in the matter. Charis wanted you to end her life so she - and everyone in Spira - would be saved. You did the right thing," Evan smiled.

"No. I didn't. I gave in, and killed my best friend. I'll never forgive myself. I'll never --" she was interrupted by Evan's index finger on her lips, hushing her.

"You. Did. The. Right. Thing," he said quietly. "Believe me."

Piper closed her eyes, unconsciously resting her head on his shoulder. _I hope so... I really, really hope so.  
  
_

_A/N: A little EvanxPiper fluff for you guys - Sorry it took so long. This chapter is dedicated to Anidrin and Emrelle. Emmy's read the entire trilogy since Lost Love started and Anidrin read the entire thing just 'cause... Well I don't know why. Well I won't update as often - more stories, less time - so don't worry, I'll let you know if I'm going to put it on hold!  
__Always - Letselina_


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